Ormonde Jayne

Ta'if is one of my very favourites scents of all time! I also love Tolu. This perfume house is very well worth sampling if you haven't tried it, all scents seem well made, high quality ingredients and intriguing combinations.

Yes I once spoke to Linda wanting to buy parfum and she suggested I get the edp instead. I did not regret it.

From my experience with the EDP and parfum extrait of Frangipani - there is not too much difference at all - apart from the price factor. Love this stuff.
Ta'if is another I adore .

I also just got a sample set. I can definitely appreciate the quality, but somehow there's no love, yet at least. Also, some of them (not all) seem relatively fleeting on my skin, though perhaps it's just that I need to spray more.

Anyway, the Ormondes (man and woman) are green woodies with a light, airy quality. So much that to my nose they get close to the ozonic-aquatic genre, especially the male version. As such, they should become the reference for those who love these genres. I don't, and I'm not a big fan of woodies per se, so no love. Though I love their green-ness (I'm going to be a little pedantic here, as some reviewer also noted, the advertised hemlock is the tree, which presumably gives a light cedary smell, not the socratic herb, luckily, which has a horrid, do not try eating me smell). Zizan, instead, is a little green, insubstantial thing of no interest.

The florals seem a little stronger and more persistent to me. Taif is a huge, clean rose, one of the best for those who love rose soliflores. Osmanthus, sampaquita, and frangipani have all a clean, lemony feel to them (without any hint of luscious tropical exhuberance). I prefer bigger flowers, though. Orris noir, as discussed also by Turin-Sanchez, is neither orris nor noir, and smells like a good, fresh soap.

Perhaps the favorite is Tiare, as tropical as the XVI arrondissement. It's a citrus chypre, Luca Turin mentions Diorella, which I have never smelled in its vintage form. Relative to Cristalle, it is less green, more citric, and lighter in feel. However, while the top was as classic as it could be, it disappeared quickly on me. I need to retest with a more generous spray - to make sure that it's not a lack of oakmoss which is making the frag disappear.

cacio

I find Ormonde Jaynes all have an underlying OJ signature - a kind of underlying cedar ( and some Iso E Super ) to them . Linda Pilkington works a lot of Geza Shoen who does the Escentric Molecules range . I find many of the OJs are " gauzy ' but lasting.

I am also pretty tempted by Orris Noir and I also remember loving Tolu .

Mimi:

very good point on the underlying signature. Now that you mention, most do have indeed an airy, atmospheric, light cedary feel. Since I am not a fan of the style, that might explain why I have not developed any love yet. But again, for those who are in the style, they are very well made (and much superior to the simplistic molecules/escentric stuff).

I now need to respray Tiare ... in case it follows the novel concept of iso-e chypre ...

Btw re: Tolu - very good too, a vanillic, slightly balsamic oriental, in the general direction of Shalimar, but again lighter. Persistent light vanillic drydown, though.

cacio

Cacio - Tiare has a Jasmine White Moss ( Estee Lauder ) vibe ( 'neo chypre' ) to it. I admit Tiare is not one of my OJ faves though I do like Jasmine White Moss somewhat. .

Mimi:

how interesting, just yesterday Elena at perfumeshrine was talking about the concept of EL "white moss" (as applied to the new Jo Malones). I only smelled the top of Jasmine white moss, so I cannot talk about the mossy part.

So I just sprayed Tiare, on paper and on skin. The top so far is great, citrus-green chypre. Let's see how the drydown evolves.

cacio

Funny how perceptions differ, cacio. I would never ever describe Orris Noir as "fresh soap". And mind, I hate soapy scents! I agree with LT that it's not "noir", and not really iris either, but it IS a deep scent, I associate it with a very deep (bordering on black) purple colour. A wonderful floriental and a staple in my fall/winter wardrobe.

Neither do I detect any airy quality in Ormonde Woman. It's probably the densest green scent I have ever smelt. And the most interesting as well - there's no other resembling it.

The issues with staying power you mentioned are easy to solve by spraying more (I use about 12 spritzes of all OJs, except for Orris Noir and Tolu which don't need it).

Ta'if is my favourite rose fragrance, the saffron makes it unresistable and moves it away from being "just a rose soliflore".

I love all her white florals as well with my favourite being Sampaquita. They are all very well done but they are close enough to each other (meaning they cover the same type of spot in a wardrobe) that I don't need to own them all. They manage to stay away from the typical lush tropical interpretations and use some unusual combinations of notes to stay green and refreshing.

Bonsai:

I agree, "soapy" isn't really right, it doesn't smell like soap. I should have said that Orris Noir smells to my nose very clean, it made me almost think about some of the Prada infusions.

And you are absolutely right that I had been underspraying, which likely affects my perceptions. This is not Montale. I just noticed this with Tiare, which had my favorite top. I resprayed last night more generously, and this morning it's still there. A different experience. So I'll try again O woman with more sprays.

Still, I do think Mimi is right when she describes OJ signature as a light cedary, Iso-E ambiance that gives a sense of lightness, air, and is pretty much in the modern style; this is particularly evident in the drydown, less so in the top where the main material prevails. It is good, but simply, it is not love for me.

As for the flowers, I do connect more to them, but, again because of my taste, I prefer my flowers a little dirtier. But Taif is great, big, radiant, and less proper than its very prim sisters. It's not exactly a soliflore, but still very rose-oriented. If I wanted a big rose, that would likely be it.

Mimi:
as said, I resprayed Tiare. Now I can feel the drydown much better. Not exactly oakmoss, it's a sort of patch-white-musk-cedary mix (would that be the "white moss"?), a tad too clean, but luckily with enough of the green vegetal part to inject some life. Overall, while not exactly a green chypre, it can stand in their company. More relaxed than most, friendlier than haughty queen Cristalle, and more affable than brisk Private Collection (original, cannot say about the jasmine white moss). And presumably (I have not smelled it) vastly more prim than vintage Diorella, which was described as garbagey overripe. It is probably going to go on my to-buy list.

cacio

Cristalle, Jasmin White Moss and Tiare are all in the same kind of 'light' chypre family ,to me. I am so glad you love Tiare - it's very well done. The only reason Tiare is not one of my faves - is because I was expecting something different- not a chypre but a creamy soliflore ( my problem ! )

God I love this house. I own Frangipani and Ta'if in FB, and have the sample set as well. They're all beautiful, even if I personally love only a few.

Am wearing Osmanthus today, and whilst it's rather lovely, I get more citrus than osmanthus from it. Nonetheless, it's beautiful and makes me feel upbeat!

Am thinking of soon buying Champaca and Ormonde Woman as well.

FYI, on facebook, Ormonde Jayne is advertising free worldwide shipping until 10/31/12. I think this may be the time for me to order the FB of Ormonde Jayne Woman---I've been holding off for so long and hoarding every drop of the sample I got from Perfumed Court.